OK judgment time! Late entries can still be submitted, btw - this is just the individual reviews.
Entry #1: Malrex - Forgotten Shrine of the Savior
I like what was done with the pool in Area 2; an obvious temptation for some easy loot (bed of coins) with an obvious obstacle (leeches). I also like that it remains as a hazard later in the dungeon when crossing the bridge above.
I like the secret door button in Area 3; albeit a bit obvious, it's whimsical and doesn't grant too much of an advantage anyway. Also in the room is a good decision point for the characters: do we pry out the easy gems if it means risking confusion? A nice time-sensitive problem, provided some foreshadowing of the consequence is made.
I like the benefit the group gets from venerating the idol in Area 4 - negating the slipperiness and the gaze immunity is a nice non-financial gain, however there is no clue as to why the party should do this or what the effect is. Maybe something like a check to know that the idol represents "the sure-footed prince" or they find themselves unable to look directly at the idol or something. That sword seems awfully powerful for a magic item with nothing guarding it and no consequences for taking it.
I dig the devil head in Area 5; got a good old-school vibe to it. The art helps culture the vibe, which is also cool. You say it can be damaged by +3 weapons, but there's none in the dungeon. Would have been better instead to have the sword from Area 4 able to damage the head in Area 5, instead of doing the "prevents the gaze damage" boon.
I like the frictionless issue with the upper areas - good movement control problem with a couple ways to solve/bypass. The pit in Area 7 sounds like it could be a real thinker.
I like the bridge trap and encounter in Area 8 (sounds tough) but am not a fan of the random "blame" punishment, especially when there's nothing to telegraph that it's coming; I get that it relates to the candle in Area 6, but the character who lights it already gets the benefit of not being affected by the non-friction, so I don't see much purpose to it.
Area 10 should have some sort of reward for beating the elemental; as is, it seems anticlimactic and doesn't pay off for the party. Something like "the Earth God's "heart" is a fist-sized ruby, visible through the cracks in its torso", and then it attacks when they try to take it. Bonus points for the art though
Area 11 could have used some custom magic items instead of book ones, but that's not really a mortal design sin to me.
Would be cool if there was something to do with the arm in Area 13, but I guess not everything needs to do something. I love Sophia's Feline; the powers are great and not overpowered while still being useful. Nice item. Maybe the elemental arm could be clenching it, and only opens its fingers if the elemental dies?
The journal in Area 15 could be more useful, perhaps a clue as to how to properly prostrate themselves in front of the four-armed statue in Area 4? There's a lot of room for elements in this dungeon to play off one another that have been unfortunately not capitalized upon.
I don't understand the low oxygen hazardous nature of the cavernous areas - they're not exactly "air-tightened". Natural gas would have been a more sensible/believable substitute.
I like the mole-men (and the art for them), but It's unfortunate that there's really not any kind of threat in the tunnels if you befriend them (which will be the most likely outcome). Maybe if there was a conflict between Flimigar and the mole-men, where one side wants you to kill the other, it would be better. Or if you could only earn the mole-men trust by killing a rampaging giant earthworm or something. As it stands now, they're largely inconsequential and take up valuable dungeon real estate.
More could be done with Flimigar - he could again be leveraged better to interact between different elements of the dungeons by giving hints or creating conflicts. Like the mole-men, he's inconsequential right now, which is too bad because he's the only NPC in the place that the party can actually talk to.
The Crystal in Area 19 is weird and well done, and provides a good explanation for the worm activities (although the worm activities, like the mole-men and dwarf, are again sadly lacking). Since the crystal is also a form of treasure, it would have been better if perhaps the earthworms on the floor weren't harmless... in fact, I'd ditch the low oxygen hazard and make the worms your primary obstacle throughout the area - much more thematic.
Final verdict: Good OSR-vibe encounters in a lot of places. The place was well-thought out but lacking in execution and potential in some areas. There was a visible theme throughout, though it would be better if they were to cross-pollinate somehow (ie. the earthworms are being attracted by the four-armed idol instead of the crystal, or the mole-men are all on a twisted mission to free the demon head, etc.). Some of the magic items could have been made a bit better, but others are very creative. The hooks are a touch generic, and the random encounters aren't the greatest. The art attempt is admirable. The format is clean and concise.
Final Score: 6.5 out of 10
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